A Ghost Tail
Prologue Come in, kits, quickly. I can tell that a storm is about to break. You want a story do you? Well then, I suppose I do know one which I could tell you. It just so happens that tonight is the night that Twolegs call Halloween. They make themselves look scary and go around scaring their friends. No, Shadepaw, there is no point in them doing that. I don't know why. Now, do you want to listen too? Sit down then. Halloween night is a night when scary and mysterious things are most likely to happen. And, one Halloween, long before you were born, something mysterious did happen. Now, kits listen closely, and take heed, for Halloween can be a dangerous night. Chapter 1 ~ A Cat Named Shadowpaw Now kits, the story starts with a cat named Darkstreak, and his apprentice Shadowpaw... "Shadowpaw, where are you? We're going training." Shadowpaw would usually have stumbled out of his nest groggily, but it was his mentor, Darkstreak calling him. He ran. "Finally, Shadowpaw." Darkstreak's eyes glinted with something that Shadowpaw did not quite catch. "Now. Are you ready to train?" his eyes glinted again. Shadowpaw was suspicious of his mentor. But still he followed as they left camp, heading towards the training place. Until they veered sharply away. "Darkstreak? Where are we g-going?" Shadowpaw asked fearfully. "Training." Was the only reply Darkstreak would give. Later that evening, as the darkness fell, Darkstreak returned to camp. Alone. In the centre of camp he laid down his apprentices body. The Clan came out, and Shadowpaw's mother yowled with shock and grief. "No!" "I'm sorry, Dryshadow, he leaped for me during battle training, he broke his neck against a tree. There was nothing I could do." Although Darkstreak sounded remorseful, there was something in his eyes, fear. He saw the ghost of his apprentice flicker across the clearing. And, kits, no-one knew exactly what happened to Shadowpaw, Ghostpaw. Until some moons later, when Ghostpaw's family had all passed to StarClan, and Darkstreak long dead... Chapter 2 ~ Blood in the Forest The scarlet cat sat down in the Dark Crater. "Darkstar. What do you suggest we do now?" "I don't know, Blood! Forgive me, Blood! I did not kill his family, Blood!" Blood knew he was speaking of Shadowpaw. "Do not worry, my servant. What can he do to us? We can still take over the Clans, a ghost will not be able to stop us." Darkstar contemplated this for a moment, before Blood rose to his paws and speaking out to the other dark hearted cats who had arrived, mewed "My dear followers, although it has been many moons since my death, something has bothered me my whole life. A ghost, my friends. I hear you snigger, but this may compromise the destruction of the Clans! You would not want that, would you? No. So I tell you, finally, I have gotten over the ghost of the apprentice who died merely a moon or so before me. "He may attempt to stop our mission. But we cannot die, as he cannot live! And StarClan cannot help him! He is neither dead nor alive! We will be victorious! We will destroy the Clans forever!" With that the cats broke into a wild yowling and cheering, shouting about the victory that they believed would be theirs. Darkstar looked up to his leader, a smug look on his face. "You have done well, Blood." Chapter 3 ~ Darksky Learns a Myth Imagine this, kits. As the many moons had passed, three cats were hunting on the very same night as it is tonight. The leaves had fallen, and the mist was raised. And in the trees... Darksky, his apprentice Clawpaw and his mate Miststorm were out hunting. It was the end of Leaf fall, and most of the leaves had fallen. Darksky looked up into the trees, and as the final leaf of one of the few oak trees within the territory had fallen. Up in the tree, there was a flicker of movement. "Wait a moment, you two," His Clanmates stopped and looked at him, puzzled. "Did you see something move up there?" Miststorm purred. "Don't be silly, love. Maybe you saw a ghost. After all, tonight is the night Twolegs call 'Halloween', I think." The three cats turned to head off, but a voice said "Maybe you did see a ghost." They all whipped round, and then stared in shock. The mouse Clawpaw was carrying dropped to the ground with a thud. "Don't worry. I may be a ghost, but I won't hurt you. I am known now as Ghostpaw. Long ago, I died as an apprentice, and now I wish the truth to come out. I need to let StarClan know what the Dark Forest are planning. I need your help." Darksky looked at Ghostpaw for a moment, contemplating what he had said. He looked to his mate, questioningly. She dipped her head ever so slightly. He then looked to his apprentice, with the same questioning look. Still in shock, Clawpaw nodded his head up and down several times sharply. Darksky took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He imagined that all the warriors of StarClan were behind him, backing him up. "What do you need us to do?" And so, kits, Darksky, Miststorm and Clawpaw were to help Ghostpaw reveal the true circumstances to his death, and let StarClan know of the Dark Forest's evil plans. Chapter 4 ~ Miststorm's Message The Halloween night was drawing on, kits, and so Ghostpaw was getting worried. Only on Halloween night, the night he died, he could be seen most clearly. The three cats sat in a little clearing in the forest. Miststorm and her mate sat close together, Darksky's apprentice lying at their feet, listening to what Ghostpaw had to say. "My friends, the Dark Forest has been plotting for a long time. I would warn StarClan myself, but they have los contact with me long ago. I am neither living nor alive. I need one of you, the one of you who StarClan can come to most easily, and then I need you to tell them of the Dark Forest's evil plans." Miststorm suddenly butted in. "You have told us already. I will go to StarClan, but you must hurry. Dawn is about to break, then you will fade and will have to return home. How long will it be before we see you again?" Ghostpaw shuffled his semi-transparant paws. "I can come to you at nearly this clarity at the end of every moon. You must meet me here on the last night of every moon at dusk, until StarClan know. Here is the message you must give, Miststorm. Remember it well. "In the Dark Forest they are plotting a terrible deed. They will take semi solid forms on the next Halloween night, for that is when their power is strongest. They will split their forces, and come to Earth and attack StarClan. The StarClan attack will be led by the Dark Forest leader, Boold, and the Earth attack will be lead by his deputy, Darkstar...." If Ghostpaw was going to say more, the three cats would never know. Dawn had broken and the ghostly cat faded into nothing. Miststorm repeated what Ghostpaw had said to her in her head. She knew, instinctively, that StarClan would come to her that night. And they did, young ones. Not only did she give her message, but StarClan gave one to her too. StarClan gave a ghostly prophecy... Chapter 5 ~ A Prophecy Miststorm dreamed that night, and StarClan did come to her. '' Several cats wreathed around her. Some looked as if no cat had thought about them for years, and other looked newly killed. It was horrifying, but the prophecy that they spoke in an eerie voice sent shivers down Miststorm's spine. "''In the woods tonight, a ghost will scream, darkness will fly, a trail of blood left behind..." "What do you mean?" she wailed. "You have, with your thoughts, told us of Ghostpaw. We thank you, Miststorm. You are the one who can help Ghostpaw. We cannot let you know any more, but we can show you one thing." A pool shimmered behind them, and in it she saw dead cats, heard screams of pain and heard claws ripping fur. Cats were fighting enemies made of shadow and one blood-red cat sat on a pile of her dead Clanmates, giving a laugh like a thunderstorm. "They stood no chance." She looked away from the horrifying image. "This is what shall happen if you do not help Ghostpaw. Do you understand?" Miststorm nodded and the dream faded away. She awoke, panting hard in her moss lined nest. She sat, for a moment, while her breathing returned to normal, and the stood up. She knew she needed to find Darksky and Clawpaw, and tell them of the dream before the horrifying vision came true. Then the mission had truly begun. The race to save the Clan and reveal the truth about Ghostpaw was on. The race to save before the terrible darkness fell over the Clan... Chapter 6 ~ Clawpaw's Idea Miststorm had met up with her mate and his apprentice and they discussed what they were going too do about the vision. They knew that Ghostpaw would not return until the ed of the moon, so they needed to start figuring things out. Then, an ingenious idea was formed... The cats met under a hollow tree log, where they could talk undisturbed. Firesky and Clawpaw listened intently as Miststorm described the dream. She then told them the chilling prophecy she had recieved. "In the woods tonight, a ghost will scream, darkness will fly, a trail of blood left behind..." "Huh," Clawpaw made a noise in the back of his throat. "If Ghostpaw is as old as he says he is, maybe the elders know some stories about him?" And I could ask, I'm an apprentice so it wouldn't look to odd. In fact, I'm supposed to be changing the moss in Deepfawn's nest." The other two agreed to this quickly. It did, after all, make sense to ask the cats who were renowned for their storytelling of old stories. Clawpaw arrived at the elder's den, fresh moss bundled under his chin. "Why, hello Clawpaw! Is that moss for me?" That's good,' Clawpaw thought, ''Deepfawn is in a good mood. "Yes, Deepfawn. I've come to change the moss for you. I wondered if, well, maybe you could, em, tell me a story?" Clawpaw set about changing the moss, his ears burning. But Deepfawn mewed with laughter. "Don't be silly young one, every cat loves a good story. Any preferances for the tale I tell?" Clawpaw pretended to think for a heartbeat, before saying "Do you know any stories about ghosts?" Deepfawn closed her eyes, thinking, then settled down in the new moss. ''The story of Ghostpaw's life was about to be made less, but more of a mystery... Chapter 7 ~ The Story An elder's story is truthful, to their knowledge. I should know, I'm an elder. And the story of Deepfawn was no lie... Clawpaw laid down, for he had finished the bedding. So Deepfawn began. "I have heard tales of a long dead cat. His name was Shadowpaw and he had a ruthless mentor, Darkstreak. Darkstreak took him training one day and Shadowpaw never returned. Darkstreak returned with blood on his claws and no cat questioning him. He made it look like a badger attack. He later became Darkstar, and no cat knew of his misdeeds. But StarClan knew. They sent him to the Place of No Stars. He has been down there ever since." "And what happened to Shadowpaw?" "Shadowpaw? Eh? Oh, yes. They say Shadowpaw never did go to StarClan. He did not want to rest until his killer was caught and peace brought to his Clan. They say his ghost is still wandering the forest, under the name Ghostpaw, waiting for justice that will never come." Clawpaw's blood ran cold. "Thanks for the story. I have to go now. Bye, Deepfawn!" "Goodbye, Clawpaw!" Clawpaw rushed away to tell Miststorm what he had heard. It turned out that Clawpaw was not the only one to make a discovery. Other heartbreaking secrets were to follow, all because of a simple betrayal... Chapter 8 ~ The Ghost is Free At the next meeting with Ghostpaw, the three cats had much to report... The three cats sat in the hollow log, waiting impatiently for Ghostpaw to arrive. A cold rush of air chilled the three cats, and they shivered. This is unusual... thought Darksky. Ghostpaw faded into view and Darksky forgot any doubts. "You have come." he said. "Have you found anything out? I cannot wait to join StarClan at last..." Clawpaw enthusisatically blurted out "Yes! We know about Darkstreak! He killed y-" "We discovered the truth of your... condition." Miststorm cut Clawpaw off. "I have been thinking. I believe a way that you can bee freed is for you to effectively die again. But, as far as I could think, and as far as the elders would tell me without suspicion, blood must be shed. But, I found a dark, dark myth. You could become... mortal again. But at a cost." Miststorm trailed off, and Ghostpaw smiled. All of Darksky's instincts told him something was very wrong, but he inored them. Of course meeting with a ghost would make him nervous. "Good." Ghostpaw murmered. "Good. Those stories... they are true." The sky darkened and two other cats faded in. "Meet my friends... Blood and Darkstreak. They are... let's say my ghost detectors. They will make a... ding when there is... stuff." They all smiled crookedly. Darksky's stomach flipped. This was all becoming very sick, and he knew it would not end well. For any of them. "You are right, Miststorm," the reddish ghost - Blood - whispered loudly, menacingly. "Blood will be required for us to become mortal again. Shall we start with... his?" The small apprentice dropped to the floor with a pained cry, a dark pool spreading beneath him. "Clawpaw! No.." Miststorm licked the young cat's head. "Run... Get o-" His eyes rolled back, and he breathed a long, final breath out as three long dead cats breathed a gaspy first breath in. "Life..." Ghostpaw breathed. "Has a price. And, my friends, that price is you." The kits gasped at this revelation in the story. "Don't worry, it does not get much worse. You will all dream of ghosts tonight!" Chapter 9 - A Battle Category:Fanfiction Category:Leopardclaw's Fan Fictions Category:Graceglow's Fan Fictions